Boat support



Oct. 6, 1959 LAWLER 2,907,294

BOAT SUPPORT Filed Jan. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Herbert E. Law/er INVENTOR.

84 7 BY I Oct. 6, 1959 LAWLER 2,907,294

BOAT SUPPORT I Filed Jan. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Herbert E. Law/er 1 N VEN TOR.

BY 2mm WW FM United States Patent BOAT SUPPORT Herbert E. Lawler, Lexington, Tenn. Application January 9, 1958, Serial No. 708,020 4 Claims. (Cl. 114-230) This invention relates generally to a boat support or stabilizer, for such as rowboats.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a boat support which acts to stabilize a rowboat.

- It is a further object of this invention to provide a boat .support for the stabilization of rowboats, which finds particular utility for fishing or duck hunting.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel construction in a boat support which utilizes a pair of depending support members which extend into the water for stabilizing the boat.

In accordance with the above stated objects, below is described a construction for a support mounting including forward and rear portions. The forward portion is mounted parallel to the boat keel and dependingly supports therefrom a support member which extends perpendicularly into the water. The rear portion is mounted between the sides of the boat and has extending projectin'g portions which extend over the water and dependingly support therefrom a pair of support members which likewise extend perpendicularly into the water.

The use of the support or stabilizer finds particular advantage in connection with duck shooting and fishing where a rocking or moving boat makes it difiicult to hit the moving bird target or to attract fish. The support is particularly useful in a body of water where there are waves which tend to move the boat or a strong wind.

The prior methods utilized either a single anchor or a plurality of anchors to maintain the boat in a fixed position. However, it has been found that the anchors allow a swinging and rocking movement in a body of water having numerous waves.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the boat and support attachment comprising this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the forward portion of the support mounting taken substantially along the plane 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a part of the rear support mounting portion taken substantially along the plane 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rear portion disconnected from the boat;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the forward portion disconnected from the boat; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the jaw members of the forward portion.

With continuing reference to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally represents the invention including a forward support mounting 12 and a rear support mounting 14 to be utilized with a rowboat such as 16. The forward portion 12 is mounted parallel to the keel of the rowboat and maintained on the bow of the boat by a pair of jaw members. The forward portion 12 includes an elongated bar 18'having adjustably slidable bushings 20 and 22 thereon. Each of the bushings 20 and 22 includes threaded apertures which communicate with the inner portions of the bushings. Threadedly afiixed in these apertures are winged setscrews 24 and 26 which maintain the slidable bushings 20 and 22 in fixed particular positions on the elongated bar 18. Dependingly supported from the bushings 20 and 22 are a pair of jaw members 28 and 30. The jaw members include angle iron portions 32 and 34 which may be fixed to the bushings, as by welding. Afiixed to the angle irons are gripping members 36 and 38 which maintain the forward deck 40 of the rowboat therebetween. The gripping member 36 bears against the rear of the deck 40 while the gripping member 38, which has a triangulated recessed portion '42, accommodates the bow portion of the row-' boat. Forward of the slidable bushing 20 on elongated bar 18 is a third slidable bushing 44 likewise having a winged setscrew 46 thereon which maintains the position of the bushing relative to the elongated bar 18. Fixedly supported, as by welding, to the bushing 44 is another bushing 48 having a winged setscrew 50. Slidably dis- 7 posed in the bushing 48 is an elongated supportmember 52 which is adapted-to contact the bottom of a water body. A 'O-clarnp 54 is also slidably maintained" on the elongated support member 52 and is maintained on the supportmember by a winged screw 56. A chain 58 depends from the C-clamp and is looped around the elongated bar 13. The function of the chain 58 is to support the boat 16 from the C-clamp 54 while the winged setscrew 50 is being tightened.

It should be apparent, therefore, that the forward por tion of the rowboat 16 will be supported by the elongated bar 18 from the support member 52 which is engaged with the floor surface of a water body. The communieating support between the elongated bar 18 and the support member 52 is provided by the bushings 48 and 44.

The rear portion of the support mounting is similar to the forward portion in that an elongated bar 60 is utilized having slidable bushings 62 and 64 thereon accompanied by winged setscrews 66 and 68 for maintaining the bushings in a particular position on the elongated bar 60. Dependingly supported from the bushings 62 and 64 are jaw members 70 and 72 formed in the same manner as the jaw member 28 previously described. The jaw members 70 and 72 bear outwardly on the sides of the rowboat to maintain the elongated bar 60 in a fixed position relative to the sides. The elongated bar extends beyond the confines of the sides of the boat and supports therefrom slidable bushings 74 and 76 which likewise have winged setscrews to maintain the bushings on the bar. The bush ings 74 and 76 are connected to slidable bushings 78 and 80 which maintain support members 82 and 84 therein which are likewise in contact with the floor of the water body. As may be noted in the drawings, bushings 78 and 80 likewise have winged setscrews for adjustment of the bar 60 on the support members 82 and 84. At the top ends of the support members 82 and 84 are a pair of C-clamps 86 and 88 which are fixed thereon by winged setscrews 89 and 90. A pair of chains 92 and 94 com municate the C-clamps 86 and 88. As was noted with the forward chain 58, pressure may be applied on the chains 92 and 94 to raise the rear portion of a boat so that the winged setscrews of the bushings 78 and 80 may be screwed tight in order to support the boat from the support members 82 and 84.

In the operation of the invention, when an occupant is desirous of supporting a boat, he needs first insert the support member 52 into the flow of the body of water. Then, making sure that the C-clamp 54 is secured to the support member 52 as by a setscrew 56, the occupant of the boat may pull downwardly on chain 58 so as to relieve a portion of his weight from the boat; that is, as the occupant presses his weight on the chain 58 to force the support member 52 into the floor of the body of water, the buoyant force of the boat is somewhat elevated because of the loss of the weight therein. As the bow becomes elevated, the occupant will loosen setscrew 50 and slide bushing 48 up along support member 52. It will be apparent of course, that bar 18 will be raised accordingly. Then, as the occupant releases his weight from the chain 58, after tightening setscrew 50, the additional weight of the occupant upon the boat will depress, the boat in the water or efiectively move the water level up to the boat; Accordingly, a portion of the weight of the boat will then be sustained by the members 36 and 38 and bar 18. The additional weight will further be transmitted to the support. member 52 and, accordingly, more securely force the suport member 52 in the floor of the body of water so as to better stabilize the boat. It will be apparent that the chains 92 and 94 may be utilized for a similar purpose. However, it will be appreciated that if the chains 92 and 94 are not utilized in this manner, they readily serve as a brace to limit the spreading of the support members 82 and 84.

p The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of 'the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

- What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a boat, a support mounting comprising a forward portion detachably secured to the boat support members, said support members being maintained in said holders perpendicular to a water surface.

2. In combination with a boat, a support mounting including a forward portion and a rear portion, said forward portion including an elongated bar, retaining means carried by said bar for retaining said bar on said boat parallel to the keel, a holder carried by said bar adapted to hold a support member therein, said rear portion including a second elongated bar, means carried by said second bar for retaining said second bar on said boat perpendicular to the sides thereof, said second bar projecting beyond the confines of said boat and carrying a holder on each end thereof, each of said holders adapted to hold a support member therein.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said retaining means carried by said bar include a pair of adjustably slidable bushings on said bar, an aperture in each of said bushings receiving a setscrew adapted to bear against said bar.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means carried by said second bar include a pair of adjustably slidable bushings on said bar, jaw portions depending from said bushings for bearing against said boat to maintain said second bar fixed relative to said boat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,640,672 Schauman Aug. 30, 1927 2,526,871 Johnson Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 703,285 France Feb. 3, 1931 

